Study Desk

Then he went back to his followers and found them sleeping. He said to Peter, "Could you men not stay awake with me for one hour?

Stay awake and pray for strength against temptation. Your spirit wants to do what is right, but your body is weak."

Then Jesus went away a second time and prayed, "My Father, if I must do this and it is not possible for me to escape it, then I pray that what you want will be done."

Then Jesus went back to the followers and said, "Are you still sleeping and resting? The time has come for the Son of Man to be handed over to the control of sinful men.

Judas saw that they had decided to kill Jesus. He was the one who had handed him over. When he saw what happened, he was very sorry for what he had done. So he took the 30 silver coins back to the priests and the older leaders.

Judas said, "I sinned. I handed over to you an innocent man to be killed." The Jewish leaders answered, "We don't care! That's a problem for you, not us."

The leading priests picked up the silver coins in the Temple. They said, "Our law does not allow us to keep this money with the Temple money, because this money has paid for a man's death."

This showed the full meaning of what Jeremiah the prophet said: "They took 30 silver coins. That was how much the people of Israel decided to pay for his life.

When a crowd gathered, Pilate said to them, "I will free one man for you. Which one do you want me to free: Barabbas or Jesus who is called the Messiah?"

While Pilate was sitting there in the place for judging, his wife sent a message to him. It said, "Don't do anything with that man. He is not guilty. Last night I had a dream about him, and it troubled me very much."

But the leading priests and older Jewish leaders told the people to ask for Barabbas to be set free and for Jesus to be killed.

Pilate said, "I have Barabbas and Jesus. Which one do you want me to set free for you?" The people answered, "Barabbas!"

The people answered, "We will take full responsibility for his death. You can blame us and even our children!"

At noon the whole country became dark. The darkness continued for three hours.

Many women were standing away from the cross, watching. These were the women who had followed Jesus from Galilee to care for him.

He went to Pilate and asked to have Jesus' body. Pilate gave orders for the soldiers to give Jesus' body to him.

So give the order for the tomb to be guarded well for three days. His followers might come and try to steal the body. Then they could tell everyone that he has risen from death. That lie will be even worse than what they said about him before."

The angel said to the women, "Don't be afraid. I know you are looking for Jesus, the one who was killed on the cross.

with what the prophet Isaiah said would happen. He wrote: "Listen! I will send my messenger ahead of you. He will prepare the way for you."

"There is someone shouting in the desert: ‘Prepare the way for the Lord. Make the road straight for him.'"